Social platform · Medium risk
Is Twitter safe for your child?
Age guide
13+
We advise Twitter from age 13 and up. Overall risk 6/10 (medium risk).
- 13-15
- At this age, teens might use Twitter for following celebrities, news, or specific interest groups, encountering trending topics and public discussions.
- 16+
- Older teens may engage more with political discourse, professional networking, or sharing personal opinions, navigating a broader range of content and interactions including 'Spaces' for live audio conversations.
Twitter is a widely-used social media platform that enables users to post and interact with short messages known as tweets. It serves as a space for sharing news, opinions, and personal updates, but can also expose users to a range of content, both good and bad. The platform allows for public conversations and connections, but the open nature can lead to encounters with harmful behavior and misinformation. Parents should be aware of the potential risks associated with their children using Twitter, including exposure to inappropriate content and interactions with strangers.
- Age guide
- 13+
- Overall risk
- 6/10
- Violence
- 3/10
- Toxic behaviour
- 8/10
- Stranger contact
- 7/10
- Addiction risk
- 6/10
- Language
- 5/10
- Influence
- 7/10
What parents should know
Twitter is a real-time information network where users share short messages, images, and videos. It exposes users to a wide range of public content and discussions, requiring careful privacy management and critical thinking skills. The platform's algorithm-driven 'For You' feed can be highly engaging, and Direct Messages allow private communication.
What to do about Twitter
Free with a Parentwise account. The age-by-age verdict needs your child's age, which is why it lives behind the account.
- The age-by-age verdict
What we advise for under 8, 8-12 and 13+ - our age guide for Twitter is 13+, and the answer changes with your child's age. - The one setting to change tonight
The exact Twitter setting that cuts the most risk, with the steps to find it. - What to say
Word-for-word openers for talking about Twitter without a row. - Red flags to watch for
The signals in Twitter that mean it is time to step in.
Twitter age rating and parents guide: common questions
What age rating is Twitter?
Parentwise puts Twitter at 13+. We advise Twitter from age 13 and up. Overall risk 6/10 (medium risk). Violence scores 3/10, language 5/10, stranger contact 7/10 and addiction risk 6/10.
Can a 10 year old use Twitter?
Not by default: we advise Twitter from 13+, so at 10 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first.
Can a 12 year old use Twitter?
Not by default: we advise Twitter from 13+, so at 12 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first.
Can a 13 year old use Twitter?
Yes, 13 is at or above the age we advise for Twitter (13+). At this age, teens might use Twitter for following celebrities, news, or specific interest groups, encountering trending topics and public discussions.
Is Twitter appropriate for kids?
Twitter is a real-time information network where users share short messages, images, and videos. Parentwise rates Twitter overall as medium risk (6/10), with stranger contact at 7/10 and addiction risk at 6/10.
Is Twitter family friendly?
Twitter sits in the middle: fine with settings changed and an occasional check-in. It exposes users to a wide range of public content and discussions, requiring careful privacy management and critical thinking skills.
Twitter parents guide: what should a parent know first?
Twitter is a real-time information network where users share short messages, images, and videos. The parts that most often catch parents out are stranger contact (7/10) and how hard it pulls for more time (6/10).
Is Twitter safe for kids?
We advise Twitter from age 13 and up. Overall risk 6/10 (medium risk). It exposes users to a wide range of public content and discussions, requiring careful privacy management and critical thinking skills.
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Release and popularity data comes in part from RAWG, TVMaze (CC BY-SA) and Wikidata (CC0). Safety guidance is written by Parentwise.